Veterinary mouth-speculum.



N0.. 862,020. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

y F. E. RUTHERPORD.

VETERINARY MOUTH SPEGULUM. PPLICATION FILED APR..4,1907.

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FRANK E. RUTHERFORD, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

VETERNARY MOUTH-SPECULUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed April 4, 1907. Serial No. 366,370.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK E. RUTHERFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inVeterinaryMouth-Speculums; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in veterinary mouth speculums.

The object of the invention is to provide a mouth speculum by means ofwhich the jaws of the animal to which the same is applied may beforcibly held in an open position to permit dental or surgicaloperations to be performed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the inventionconsists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aveterinary mouth speculum constructed in accordance with the invention;Fig. 2 is a similar view of one of the mouth pieces which are used onthe instrument when the latter is applied to the front teeth of theanimal; Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the mouth pieces for engagingthe gums or jaws of the animal when it is desired to operate upon thefront teeth; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through one side ofthe upper jaw pieces of the speculum showing the arrangement of thespring locking pins for holding the ratchet extending bars in anoperative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the speculumwhich consists of an upper jaw member 2 and a lower jaw member 3. Thelower jaw member 3 comprises a pair of side bars 4 which are pivotallyconnected at their inner ends tothe side bars 5 of the upper jaw member.In the side bars 4 of the lower jaw member are formed slots 6 in whichare pivotally mounted the lower ends of ratchet expanding bars 7, saidbars being provided on their outer edges with a series of ratchet teeth8.

The bars 7 project through and are adapted to work in slots 9 formed inthe side bars 5 of the upper jaw member 2. The teeth S on the forwardedge of the bars 7 are adapted to be engaged with pins 10 arranged inthe side pieces 5 across the slots 9 therein, whereby the opposite jawmembers of the speculum are held in an expanded or open position, thedistance between said jaws being regulated by engagement of the teeth 8with the pin 10. The bars 7 are held in an operative position inengagement with the pin 10 by means of springs 12 which are engaged withthe bars 7 adjacent to their lower pivoted ends and arranged as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings.

On the forward ends of the side pieces 4 and 5 of the l upper and lower'jaw members are formed lugs 13 on which are arranged fastening bolts 14having elongated heads 15 whereby the upper and lower mouth or teethengaging pieces 16 and 17 may be detachably connected to the ends of theupper and lower jaw members, as shown. The mouth pieces 16 and 17 areprovided on their opposite ends with slotted lugs 18 which are adaptedto be engaged with the bolts 14 and the lugs 13, after which the bolts14 are turned so that the elongated heads thereon will lie across theslots in the lugs 13 thereby securely fastening said mouth pieces on tothe ends of the jaw members. The mouth pieces 16 and 17 are curved tofit the front teeth of the animal and are provided with inner and outersegmental fianges 19 and 20 which form a segmental groove or channel insaid mouth piece to receive the front teeth of the animal and preventthe slipping of the mouth piece or displacement of the jaw members 2 and3. The mouth pieces 16 and 17 are used when it is desired to operateupon the back or molar teeth or on the mouth or throat of the animal.

When it is desired to operate upon the front teeth or incisors, adifferent form of mouth piece is provided and adapted to be secured tothe upper and lower jaw members in the same manner as described inconnection with the pieces 16 and 17. The mouth member employed when Aitis desired to operate upon the front teeth is shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings and consists of a plate or bar 19/, the central portion ofwhich is curved or bulged outwardly in opposite directions while theends of the same are flattened and provided with oppositely-projectinglugs 20 in which are formed elongated openings 21/ to receive theelongated heads 15 of the bolts 14 when said mouth pieces are applied tothe ends of the side pieces of the jaw members, ,said bolts being turnedto bring the heads thereof across the slots, thereby securing the mouthpieces in place. When the mouth pieces 19/ are employed, they areadapted to engage the gums or jaws of the animal immediately in rear ofthe front teeth or incisors, thereby leaving said teeth free andunobstructed to permit the same to be operated upon. In order that theratchet expanding bars 7 may be locked in engagemet with the pins 10 inthe side bars 5 of the upper jaw member 2, I provide locking pins 23which are arranged on the forward ends of catch springs 24, arranged onthe outer sides of the side pieces 5 adjacent to their pivoted ends asshown in Fig. 1, the springs 24 being secured to said side pieces byscrews or bolts 25 while the pins 23 on the opposite end of the same areadapted to be projected through holes or passages 26 formed in said sidebars and to project across the slots 9 therein immediately in rear ofthe ratchet bars 7 thereby locking the teeth of the same into engagementwith the pins 10. The free ends of the springs 24 may be provided withoperating lugs 27 by means of which the same may be swung outwardly todisengage the pins 23 from the rear sides of the bar 7 to permit thesame to be disengaged from the pins l0 when it is desired to open orclose the jaws of the speculum. To the pivoted ends'oi the jaw members 2and 3 are pivotally connected loop or eye members 28 to which areconnected the inner ends of a head stall or attaching straps 29 by meansof which the speculum is held in position upon the head of the animal.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation oi the invention will bereadily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details oficonstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any oi the advantages of the invention, as defined by theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is,-

A veterinary mouth speculum comprising upper and lower pivotallyconnected jaw members provided with slots, mouth pieces attached to theouter ends of said members, pins extended transversely through the slotsin one set of said members, expander bars terminally 4pivoted in theslots in the other set of jaw members and having ratchet teeth designedfor engagement with said pins to hold the jaws in open position, springsarranged to act on the expander bars for throwing them into engagementwith the pins, catch springs attached to the pin-carrying jaws, andlocking pinsarried by the free ends of said springs and adapted/toproject transversely through the slots in rear of the expander bars forholding the teeth of the latter in engagement with the transverse pins.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myvhand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRANK E. RUTHERFORD.

Witnesses z W. AA BROWN, O. J. LAW.

